Rail-joint



C. J. WINSLOW.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5, 1917 1,348,605. Patented June 15, 1920.

awe/rm (LI W1 71610214 PATENT OFFICE.

CLARK a. wmsnow, or CORRELL, MINNESOTA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted Jun 15 192() Application filed October 5, 1917. Serial No. 194,891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARK J. WINsLow, a citizen of the United States, residing at Correll, in the county of Bigstonc and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints and has for one of its objects to provide a rail joint, which may be readily connected together without the use of fish plates, or splice bars such as are now in common use.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a rail joint of this character, which will be simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive in construction.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the op posing ends of the rail sections illustrating them separated,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the opposing ends of the rail sec tions after they have been connected together,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the webs of the rails after being assembled.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 1 and 2 designate adjacent rail sections adapted to be removably connected together by my improved invention.

The rail section 1 is provided at one end, and in its web thereof, with a longitudinally extending recess 3. The rear wall of the recess inclines from the bottom upwardly as shown at 4 in Fig. 1.

The rail section 2 is provided on its 0pposing end with a tongue '5, which tongue is formed integrally with the web thereof and extends longitudinally therefrom and its side faces converge upwardly to conform to the configuration of the recess 3.

A pair of rectangular plates 6 are secured to the side faces of the web of the rail section 2 and to the side faces of the tongue 5. The outer ends of the plates 6 terminate fiush with the outer end of the tongue 5 and these plates are formed integrally with, or welded or otherwise secured to the web and tongue in any suitable manner.

The plates 6 extend above the plane of the upper surface of the tongue 5 and constitute retaining members when the rail sections are moved into connection with one another, and it will be apparent that when the sections are moved into engagement or union with one another, the retaining portions of the plate will engage the opposite side faces of the web of the rail section 1, thereby holding the sections against lateral displacement in either direction.

It is to be understood that the rail sections are secured to the ties by the usual spikes. By reason of the tongue being slidably fitted in the recess 3, expansion and contraction of the rail sections is provided for, this expansion and contraction being due to changes in temperature.

In coupling the adjacent ends of the rail sections together, the rail sections 1 and 2 are moved longitudinally in the direction of each other and the tongue 5 enters the mortise or socket 3 and the plates 6 engage against the side faces of the web of the rail section 1. In this manner, the sections will be held against relative lateral movement in either direction and, due to the configuration of the tapered tongue snugly fitting in the walls of the tapered recess 3, a tight and snug joint is formed.

What is claimed is 1- A rail joint comprising adjoining rail ends having thickened and upwardly tapered webs, the web of one rail end having its lower portion extended to provide a tongue extending longitudinally from the rail end and the web of the second rail end being cut out to provide a longitudinally extending pocket to receive the tongue, and

side strips extending longitudinally of the tongue and extending above the upper face thereof and in overlapping relation to the tongue and Web and adapted to engage the side faces of-the web of the second rail end to hold the tongue in'the pocket with the rail ends in alinement. 

